This picture was taken in January 2010, of Sakurajima volcano near Kagoshima town in south Japan. The volcano ejected lava bombs and created forks of lightning – possibly due to electrically charged ash

Kawah Ijen volcano in Indonesia in June 2008. This volcano has a extremely acid crater lake and possibly the strongest sulphur vent in the world. It is so hot that the sulphur ignites leading to burning rivers

Mr Rietze used his vast pool of experience to capture a dramatic shot of volcanic lightning at Sakurajima volcano in Japan last month.

Scientists are still uncertain as to why lightning occurs during some eruptions. One theory is that it is caused by charge-inducing collisions in volcanic dust.

A great deal of planning goes into Mr Rietze’s expeditions. He tries to catch volcanoes when they are their highest levels of activity, but calculating the ups and downs of the eruptions can take days to complete.

‘For long distance destinations I have to invest a fortnight to give myself a good chance of getting some decent shots,’ he said.

‘In principle a volcano can erupt at any time, day and night. This means you have to wait as long as you can for something spectacular, including whole nights.

‘So if the weather is good I must be patient and wait for it to erupt, whether it is lunchtime or two in the morning.’